


Friend in Need

by anonymouslaser



Series: Friend in Need [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Identity Reveal, Intervention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-01
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-19 15:36:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17604083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonymouslaser/pseuds/anonymouslaser
Summary: Alya, Marinette, and Nino hold an intervention. Adrien has a breakdown. Identities are revealed.





	Friend in Need

**Author's Note:**

> This is one of those stories that rolls around in your mind and, for better or worse, has to get down on paper (or pixels).

Adrien sat down and slowly got out his things for the day. Nino leaned over and tried to use a quieter tone than usual.

“Long day yesterday?”

Adrien looked at his friend and Nino was shocked to see his eyes were watery. Adrien quickly rubbed them as if trying to wake up. “Yeah, I had to...uh, I was really busy yesterday.”

Adrien’s stomach growled. Loudly.

Alya reached over and put her hand on his shoulder. “Did you skip breakfast?”

Adrien paused. “No, of course not. I'm on a new veggie smoothie mix thing for a while. I guess my nutritionist is trying something new. At least the taste was pretty good.”

_And fighting akumas three nights in a row might be a problem._

Marinette appeared at the door, drawing Adrien’s attention so he didn't notice the dark looks Nino and Alya gave each other. Marinette managed to look both frantic at being nearly late and dragging from lack of sleep. She had a large coffee and a bakery bag.

She sat down, gave a tired smile to Alya, and pushed the bag into her hands without a word. Alya took out a pastry, passed it to Nino, who took another and passed the bag to Adrien.

Adrien seemed to have a brief internal struggle, but then opened the bag and quickly devoured both of the remaining pastries. However, this didn’t seem to cheer him.

His three friends shared a grim look and a brief nod.

 

***

  
The final bell rang and everyone started packing their things. Again, Adrien’s three friends shared a glance and a nod.

Marinette spoke like she was reading a script. “Hey guys, I think I’d like to do the chemistry homework in a group. I’m not sure I really got it today.”

Alya jumped in, though more naturally. “Yeah, that sounds good. You guys want to join us? We can use Adrien’s sciencey brain.”

Nino joined in. “Yeah dude, I could use the help too.”

Marinette cut in quickly, “Let’s go to my place. We can have the day-old pastries for a snack.”

Adrien took a quick glance at his schedule on his phone. “Uh, yeah, that sounds good. Let me make a call.”

The others noticed the continued lack of a smile on his face.

 

***

  
The four trooped up to Marinette’s room with their bags and a generous snack. Adrien didn’t particularly notice as the other three placed themselves between him and the ladder back down.

Once they were settled, Adrien started pulling out his chemistry text, but stopped as he noticed the other three not moving. “Uh, did you want to start on something besides chemistry?”

Alya spoke up. “Yes, actually. We want to talk with you.”

Adrien, still half-way through pulling out his book, suddenly took in the tactical situation. He tensed, slowly put his book back, and cocked his head. “What about?”

Nino replied. “We’re worried about you, dude.”

Adrien’s shoulders slumped. “Oh.” A small pause passed before he began again. “About what exactly? I’m doing fine.”

“You haven’t been yourself,” Alya continued, ignoring his last statement. “For about two weeks you’ve been exhausted and we haven’t seen you smile.”

Adrien sighed and went with the usual story. “My father has kept my schedule full.”

“With what?” Alya gave him a pointed look.

Adrien hesitated, realizing he would need as much truth as he could give. “Well, I have my usual Chinese, piano, and fencing. I’ve had a few photo shoots lately for the summer line. The usual hair and skin treatments…”

“Dude.”

Adrien paused. “What?”

“Do you sleep?”

“Of course! I mean, I do have to stay up some...uh, doing homework or practicing piano, but yeah.”

While Adrien was talking, Nino patted Marinette’s arm. She picked up the plate of pastries and held them out in his direction. Immediately when he stopped talking, he grabbed a croissant and devoured it.

“Adrien,” Alya jumped in again once he swallowed, “are you eating enough?”

“Look, you all know I’m on a model diet. I have to keep certain proportions to stick with my career.”

Adrien said this as he took a second croissant from the plate still held out to him. He bit off half of it before he realized what he was doing. Adrien chewed much slower but still finished the croissant. He dropped his eyes to his hands.

“Do you like modeling?”

Adrien looked up at Marinette and shrugged. “It’s what father wants.”

Marinette looked at him firmly but spoke softly. “That’s not an answer. Do you like doing it?”

Adrien paused. He furrowed his brow and looked like he had never been asked that before. He stammered out “Uh, I’m good at it. It is a good career. I could reasonably do it for a long time with father’s company…”

He looked at his friends and saw the worried looks in their faces. He had to think fast. He had to keep this somewhere away from his secret identity, which was about half of his problem. Maybe he had to turn this around a bit, and try a little indignation. It helped that it was genuine.

“Anyway, you haven’t said what this is all about! Why all the questions?”

“Hey dude, like I said, we’re worried about you.”

“Being tired is hardly something to worry about!” Adrien was getting agitated.

“You lying to us is.”

Adrien stared at Alya, and she readily met his gaze.

Adrien replied quietly. “What do you mean?”

“I _mean_ you’re lying to us, Agreste. You’re bad at it. You’re definitely not telling us what’s going on with you. We’ve seen you tired when you’re busy, but not _down_ like this. I don’t have to be a journalist to tell you’re lying about being ok.”

Adrien was getting uncomfortable, but didn’t know what to say.

Nino picked up. “We...well, we’re worried about how your dad treats you.”

“Father loves me. He wants what is best,” Adrien answered flatly.

Nino pounced on that. “So he loves you enough to starve you and keep you too busy to do anything you want to do or get some rest?”

“Guys...l-look…” Adrien stammered out, getting frustrated. “What do you want? I’ll say it or do it or…”

“NO!”

They all turned to look at Marinette.

“Adrien, we don’t want you to feel like you have to _do_ something to make us satisfied! This is about you. About _you_ being happy and healthy.”

Adrien looked startled. He was getting really uncomfortable now. This was too confusing; can't he just _do something_ or try harder to get out of this?

Marinette sighed. “Adrien, it’s just not like you to be so down and tell a bunch of lies to cover it up.”

“Talk with us dude. What’s going on?”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” Alya and Nino asked in unison.

“You can’t know.”

He felt a twitch in his shirt. Adrien realized this was a wrong turn as soon as it left his mouth. He must be more tired and worked up than he thought. His agitation got worse as the pause stretched out and the tension got thicker.

Alya controlled her voice so it was more calm than usual. “Why can’t we know, Adrien?”

“I didn’t mean that, I just don’t like you all scrutinizing me.”

Alya’s voice increased slightly in volume.

“Adrien, we’re your friends…”

Adrien cut her off and went louder. “That doesn’t give you the right to pry!”

Alya went louder still. “It gives us the right to tell you we’re _worried_!”

“What do you want from me?”

“TELL US WHAT YOU’RE HIDING!”

Adrien was breathing hard. He could almost physically feel his filter breaking in his head. His voice started dangerously low.

“You think I like hiding and lying? Well...I’m sick of it. I’m so tired of lying. Lie and hide. I _hate_ it.”

A tear fell unhindered.

“Yes father, I want to learn that concerto. Yes father, I can do another session of Chinese. Yes father, I will do the two photo shoots in a row. Yes father, I will come straight home.”

Adrien got up and started pacing in the small space they left him in Marinette’s room. His voice began a slow crescendo.

“Heh, my whole job is about lying and hiding. Being _radiant_ and _dreamy_ when I just want to eat something or hang out with friends or sleep.”

Adrien had a small hiccuping sob. He continued pacing, hardly seeing his friends. Nino moved to get up, but Alya put a hand on his shoulder to restrain him.

“I have to lie about knowing what in the world I’m doing all the time! How do I figure out what’s socially acceptable? I’m trained for cocktail parties, not _school_.”

Adrien ran his hands through his hair as he paced, freely letting tears fall.

“And hiding from crazed fans! It’s like they own me! Just because they see my face all over the city they’re my friend and can get a selfie or whatever, whenever!”

Adrien scrubbed his face with his hands.

“I can’t even tell anyone the big one. _It’s not allowed. It’s not safe,_ ” Adrien said in a mocking voice. He felt a shift inside his shirt but ignored it.

“Well, maybe I want to ask friends for advice and I can’t because I have to keep it secret. Maybe…(sob)...maybe I have a huge crush on my partner and she loves someone else so I can’t do anything, but it hurts! Who do I talk to about that?? Not _Father_. At least not without an _appointment_. Not my partner, obviously. And no one else can know.”

Marinette let out a little gasp, but Adrien was on a roll and missed it. All three friends were wide eyed and confused at what was pouring out of Adrien. Adrien quickened his pace and continued rubbing his head.

“And of course the lies to keep the truth a secret. Ugh, how is it right to have all these lies to protect the truth? Lying about being here or there. Lying about hiding. Ugh!”

Adrien was almost power walking. He locked his hands behind his head and nearly covered his face with his touching elbows. However, he went silent.

Alya spoke up. “Adrien, sometimes the truth needs to come out.”

Adrien didn’t look up or stop pacing. “Oh, not this one. The sneaking out, the fighting, the hiding, the seeing my crush, the...everything.”

Alya was getting more confused, but began again. “Adrien…”

Adrien was barely holding in the sobs at this point. He suddenly stopped, turned toward them, and his voice got much louder.

“Actually, you want to know the big one? Really? Well here it is! Plagg, claws out!”

The transformation nearly blinded the three friends as it was wholly unexpected. Their brains were trying to keep up with what they were seeing. Added to that was a nearly sobbing Chat Noir.

“Well, there you go! So here’s my life. Father gives me more work and less calories. I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in four days with the akuma attacks. I don’t know if I even want to be a model, though it’s all I know. And I can’t talk to anyone about relationship stuff because who would believe I know Ladybug well enough to really fall for her, but still know she likes someone else?”

Adrien finally looked up at his friends. They were all wide eyed. Alya had both hands over her mouth, apparently trying to hold back a scream. Nino was leaning back, looking like Alya’s sister had given him an uppercut. Marinette was biting her fist, wide eyed, and had a small tear running down her cheek.

Adrien’s brain finally re-engaged. His own eyes went wide. He collapsed to kneel on the floor and buried his face in his hands

“Oh...oh...oh no, no, No, No. Oh no, oh I shouldn’t have done that...oh I’m so sorry...oh, I’ve put you all in danger. I’m sorry! I’m not mad at any of you. You...you can’t tell ANYONE. Oh no, what will Ladybug say...”

Nino got up and sat in front of Chat Noir. He hesitated a moment, then leaned in and gave him a hug.

“Duuuuude.”

Adrien made a choking noise, then leaned in and had a good cry.

After a minute, he gently pushed out from the hug, and looked at Nino. Nino looked him in the eye. “Really, that’s all you got?”

Adrien snorted, then started laughing and crying at the same time. Nino joined in the laughter and hugged him again. They were quickly joined by Alya.

After Adrien had a minute to calm down, he saw Marinette in the same spot as before. Adrien looked at her and saw the shock. This brought him back down some.

“Marinette, I’m sorry. I’m sure this is a lot to take in.”

Marinette suddenly looked past Adrien, jumped to her feet, and shouted “Tikki, spots on!”

The transformation wasn’t even finished before she pulled out her yo-yo and yelled “Kitty, drop!” Chat Noir immediately obeyed that voice, of course, as it was the voice of the person he trusted most.

Ladybug flicked open her yo-yo and threw it just over Chat Noir’s head, snagging the akuma before it could land.

Ladybug released the cleansed butterfly without a word. She looked around. Chat Noir was looking up at her in shock and awe. Alya was turning around from a defensive crouch, holding an umbrella like a bat (or a flute?). Nino turned, but had one arm up as if holding an invisible shield, the other spread wide trying to cover Alya and Adrien.

All four friends looked at each other and many things fell into place.

Alya regained her voice first. “This is not the direction I thought this conversation would go.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure Adrien would have a breakdown; maybe if pushed hard enough. But if he did, I think everything, including his identity, would come out.
> 
> All critiques welcome.
> 
> Update (2/24): Just fixing a few typos and such.


End file.
